It Started with a Dream
by SugarGlazed
Summary: Who knew that something like this would happen? Elva surely didn't. And honestly it was okay.


The lack of sleep was killing her. Elva found that each night the hours seem to get shorter – her eyes shut, but her body didn't rest. her dreams woke her up and she spent the morning trying to convince herself that they were only the mind's way of showing her what she lacked in the waking life. Elva knew this, but she didn't plan to act on it.

At first the dreams came as wisps of memories. She saw herself with him – Portgas D. Ace. The day she met him aboard Whitebeard's ship for the first time; the two of them smiled at one another. And even the time he said goodbye to her after the Captain sent her away to the 16th division. Even though Elva didn't see the mannerly young man very much since then, she saw him plenty enough in her dreams. But only in more intimate settings. Talk was usually rare, but the sex was plenty.

She was not sure why she had these dreams. Never had she thought of Ace in such a way – a comrade maybe, but never as a lover. He had always been so kind to her, making her feel included whenever she felt left out. So why then do she wake every morning with his name on her breath and a wetness between her legs? It irritated her, but she did confess, the end result was nice. And it was not like she planned to tell him. Her dreams were harmless, so why not enjoy them while she could.

The next morning, Elva woke with a content sigh. Her lower body hummed in the aftermath of her release, and as she pulled herself from the confines of her duvet, she swore that her head felt faint.

The sky was still dark outside the porthole in her room, but she could see the waves curling across the ocean. Elva laughed irritably at this, knowing that she was the first one awake. The rest of the crew was due up at any time, so she decided to bathe and get a head start on chores. The lewd meaning behind her dreams of Ace would have to wait for another time.

After she had a bath, the rest of the crew was awake. She finished up the first of her chores; swabbing the deck. It was already wiped down, considering she did it yesterday morning after the rough night of bad weather finally broke.

Rumor had it that the Commander was meeting with important allies, so the ship had to be in perfect shape.

The dark haired girl was in the galley, helping the cook when a cabin boy fetched her. He informed Elva that the Commander needed to speak with her; he was on the deck. She thanked him for passing along the message, and returned upstairs. Izo was waiting for her, staring out at the open sea.

"Commander." Elva formally bowed to him, but Izo quickly dismissed it.

He gave her a gentle smile, and returned to his sightseeing. "Elva, did you sleep well?"

"More or less," she admitted. She decided not to mention the dream, not because she didn't trust her commander, but because he would tease her about it; her attraction to Ace was obvious to some of the crew. Elva quickly changed the subject before he noticed her odd behavior. "We're moving already?"

"Pops called a summit meeting. All of the commanders were asked to attend," he told her.

She hummed in eagerness. It had been several years since the last meeting; nothing too serious. Pops liked to have them every few years to discuss matters she assumed had to deal with territories and such. The truth was she didn't care, but she would like to see Marco and Thatch again. Ace would be there too, but she didn't plan to speak much to him unless he spoke to her.

"When are we expected to arrive?"

Izo gave her a coy smile. His painted lips opened to bear his white teeth. "Someone is excited. Is it because of the 2nd commander? I know you've been dying to see Ace for some time now."

Elva snorted in annoyance. "Not at all. I hope to not see him this entire trip, actually."

"That's a shame," Izo purred. "I know he'll be eager to see you. The sexual tension between you two is rather cute."

A genuine scowl appeared on her face. She was in no mood to deal with his teasing this morning, especially after the explicit dream she woke up with. It was embarrassing to admit, but Elva generally enjoyed it. The sudden thought brought a pleasant tingle to her body; goose pimples littered her skin. She laced her arms beneath her chest and played like nothing was wrong.

"If I may ask, sir? Did you need me for something?"

Izo chuckled quietly and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Relax. I'm only teasing." His expression then became rather somber as he looked at the girl. "But, there was one thing I wanted to ask you."

Elva feared how grave the question was, but she urged him on anyway, nodding her head.

"When are you and Ace going to do the deed?"

Annoyance flashed through her. Rolling her eyes she had every intention of returning back to the galley, but the hand on her shoulder stopped her.

He again laughed. "Last time; promise. I won't annoy you, but I want you to come aboard the Moby Dick with me. There's going to be a huge feast, and … I may have bet Vista some belly that you can beat his no spin record in knife throwing."

"Why put that kind of pressure on me, sir?"

Izo smiled. "Because I have no doubt you will beat him, and who knows, you might hit it off with Ace while you're at it."

"Don't count on the latter," Elva snorted in annoyance. A gentle sigh left you. "But I will win that bet."

And yeah … maybe she will hit it off with Ace; hopefully anyway.


End file.
